Telephone attachment for supporting a book or the like above the telephone

Abstract

An attachment for a telephone having a finger cavity of the type found in standard desk telephones. The attachment includes an easel member for supporting a book or the like, two spaced base members for supporting the easel member above the telephone, and a hook member for engaging the transverse ridge of the finger cavity of the telephone to attach the attachment to the telephone.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. An attachment for a telephone such as a standard desk telephone having a lifting cavity to receive the fingers of the lifting hand with an anti-slip ridge across the upper wall of the cavity, said attachment comprising an easel-like member for supporting a book or the like above the telephone, means connected to the easel-like member for engaging the telephone to support the easel-like member in the desired position, and a hook member having one end connected to the attachment and one end formed as a hook for extending into the cavity to engage the inner side of the anti-slip ridge in the upper wall of the lifting cavity of a telephone to hold the supporting means in position in engagement with the telephone to support the easel-like member in the desired position, further in which the hook member is made of resilient material and is positioned to be bent downwardly by the anti-slip ridge as the hook is moved into the cavity to cause the hook on the end of the member to move upwardly into firm engagement with the inner side of the anti-slip ridge when the hook has passed the anti-slip ridge. 
     
     
       2. The attachment of claim 1 in which the means for engaging the telephone to support the easel-like member in the desired position includes two spaced parallel base members positioned to engage the surface of the telephone adjacent the finger cavity. 
     
     
       3. The attachment of claim 2 in which the base members extend into the finger cavity. 
     
     
       4. The attachment of claim 1 further provided with an anti-theft plate positioned above the hook member to prevent access to the hook member from above the member. 
     
     
       5. The attachment of claim 4 in which the hook member is L-shaped having an upwardly extending leg connected to the attachment and a generally horizontal leg having a hook on its end for extending into the cavity to engage the anti-slip ridge, and in which the upwardly extending leg has an opening through which a rod can be positioned to move the hook downwardly out of engagement with the ridge to allow the attachment to be removed from a telephone. 
     
     
       6. The attachment of claim 1 further provided with an anti-theft plate connected to the attachment and positioned above the hook member to extend across the cradle of the telephone to prevent access to the hook member from above and in which parts of the base portions of the L-shaped support members extend upwardly to the anti-theft plate to prevent access to the hook member from either side. 
     
     
       7. An attachment for a telephone such as a standard desk telephone having a finger cavity in the body thereof and an anti-slip ridge extending across the top edge of the cavity, said attachment comprising an easel section for supporting a book or the like above the telephone, means connected to the easel section for supporting the easel section above the telephone, said supporting means including a pair of spaced, parallel base members attached to the easel section to extend into the finger cavity to engage the lower surface thereof to support the easel section in the desired position above the telephone, and means for releasably attaching the attachment to the telephone including a hook member of resilient material for extending into the cavity of the telephone to engage the anti-slip ridge therein to hold the base members from movement out of the finger cavity. 
     
     
       8. The easel of claim 7 in which the hook member is made of resilient material and is positioned to be deflected downwardly when positioned in the cavity in engagement with the inside edge of the ridge to exert an upward force on the cavity. 
     
     
       9. The attachment of claim 7 further provided with an anti-theft plate connected to the attachment and positioned above the hook member to extend across the cradle of the telephone to prevent access to the hook member. 
     
     
       10. The attachment of claim 9 in which the base members are L-shaped with each member having one leg extending upwardly along the back side of the easel section and another leg extending generally horizontally into the cavity of the telephone and in which means are provided to attach the generally horizontally extending legs to the anti-theft plate. 
     
     
       11. The attachment of claim 10 in which two pairs of parallel spaced mounting flanges are located on the back side of the easel section to provide grooves to receive the upwardly extending legs of the base members and means are provided to attach the base members to the flanges. 
     
     
       12. The attachment of claim 11 in which the means for attaching the base members to the flanges and to the anti-theft plate include upwardly opening grooves in the upper ends of both pairs of mounting flanges, pins located adjacent the upper ends of the upwardly extending legs for positioning in the grooves in the flanges, a pin attached to and extending transversely across the lower side of the anti-theft plate and openings in the horizontally extending legs into which the pin is snapped. 
     
     
       13. An attachment for a telephone such as a standard desk telephone having a finger lift cavity with a ridge across the upper edge, said attachment comprising an easel section for supporting a book or the like, base means for supporting the easel section, said base means including spaced, parallel L-shaped support members having upwardly extending portions attached to the easel section to support the section above the telephone and base portions for extending into the finger cavity of the telephone to engage the lower surface of the cavity, and means for releasably attaching the base means to the telephone including a hook member of resilient material having one end connected to the attachment for extending into the finger cavity to engage the inner edge of the ridge across the upper edge of the cavity to hold the base portions of the L-shaped support members in the finger cavity to support the easel section in the desired position above the telephone. 
     
     
       14. The attachment of claim 13 in which the hook member is L-shaped having an upwardly extending leg portion attached to the attachment with the other leg portion extending into the finger cavity. 
     
     
       15. The attachment of claim 14 further provided with an anti-theft plate having one end connected to the attachment and positioned to extend over the L-shaped hook member and a portion of the upper surface of the telephone below the receiver to prevent access to the hook member from above, said L-shaped hook member having an opening in the upwardly extending leg portion through which a rod can be extended to force the hook member downwardly out of engagement with the ridge to allow the attachment to be removed from the telephone. 
     
     
       16. The attachment of claim 14 further provided with an anti-theft plate connected to the attachment and positioned above the hook member to extend across the cradle of the telephone to prevent access to the hook member from above and in which parts of the base portions of the L-shaped support members extend upwardly to the anti-theft plate to prevent access to the hook member from either side. 
     
     
       17. The attachment of claim 16 in which two pairs of parallel spaced mounting flanges are located on the back side of the easel section to provide grooves to receive the upwardly extending legs of the base members and means are provided to attach the base members to the flanges. 
     
     
       18. The attachment of claim 17 in which the means for attaching the base members to the flanges and to the anti-theft plate include upwardly opening grooves in the upper ends of both pairs of mounting flanges, pins located adjacent the upper ends of the upwardly extending legs for positioning in the grooves in the flanges, a pin attached to and extending transversely across the lower side of the anti-theft plate and openings in the horizontally extending legs into which the pin is snapped.